Improvement in heels for boots and shoes



C. SCHWERDTFEGER HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

No.176,488. Patented Ayri125,1876

(1F lav/ll 7 364267404. fizz/rub? mfif N. PETERS. FNOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES SGHWERDTFEGER, OF PALMYRA, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 176,488, dated April 25, 1876; applicatioufiled March 22, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES SOHWERDT- FEGER, of Palmyra, in the county of Marion and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot and Shoe Heels, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a boot or shoe heel, showing the parts in position or locked. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the two parts separated or unlocked; and Fig. 3 is avertical transverse section through line as m, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference are employed in the drawings to indicate corresponding parts wherever they may occur.

The heel is composed of two parts, A and B. The upper part, A, consists of a series of layers of leather, made in the ordinary way; or the part may be made of wood, or wood and leather combined, and is connected to the boot or shoe in any usual manner, or by means of a series of screws, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1, by means of which the boot or shoe is screwed to the heel. The upper part, A, is provided with a metallic or other plate, at, having a central hinge-socket formed thereon or affixed thereto, which, together with the sockets formed on, or affixed to, the plate b of the lower part, B, forms a hinge, O, by means of which the two parts are hinged together. This hinge is formed on the square or forward part of the heel, and may be effected in a variety of ways-one, for instance, by inserting a piece of flexible material between the upper plate, a,'and upper heel portion, A, and between the lower plate, 11, and lower heel portion, B, and thus form a flexible joi t, which is practically a hinge-joint, or this may be cffected in any other preferred manner.

The portion A is provided with an oblong recess, D, and an aperture or screw-hole, d, the former to receivea shank or projection, E, formed on the lower plate, I), and the latter for the reception of a screw, F, by means of which the two parts A B are secured together or locked in position, as more fully explained hereinafter.

B is the lower portion of the heel, and consists of a plate, b, and a series of layers of leather to complete the heel, which are screwed to the plate by means of the screws b. The plate I) is provided with a shank or projection, E, formed on or otherwise connected to said plate upon the line of its longitudinal center, and extending to Ward the rear of the heel from a point a little forward of the transverse center of said heel-that is to say, the shank E is formed on, or connected to, the plate b, so as to project from the point of bearing or tread of the foot in walking. The projection E is provided with a screw-threaded hole, 6, for the reception of the screw F, by means of which the two parts are screwed together when in position, the shank E being pressed into the recess D, and the screw F screwed down from the interior of the boot or shoe.

In order to further secure the parts, and prevent any lateral movement, I em ploya trans verse pin, 1, which passes through asuitableaperture in the upper portion, A, and through a transverse aperture formed in the shank E, as shown by Figs. 2 and 3. This latter fastening device may, however, be dispensed with in heels of small dimensionssuch as those for ladies, misses, and childrens shoes or boots, or for gentlemens dress shoes or boots.

By this arrangement and construction .various advantages are gained. Among others may be mentioned, first, a permanent heel, readily attached or removed from the boot or shoe, when such are worn out, and attached to new ones; second, facilitating the repairing of the heel when the latter becomes worn on its lower surface, by removing any number of the layers, by unscrewing them from the plate, and replacing them by new ones; third, the heel may, at any ti1ne,'be shaped to suit the fashion by removing thelower portion, and substituting therefor another one; fourth, the employment, in connection with the lower plate, I), and the leather of the lower portion, B, of a metallic rim, which may be permanently affixed to the plate b, or connected therewith by means of screws, as shown by Fig. 3, in which L is the metallic rim or horseshoe secured to the platebby means of screws 1,- or this horseshoe may be substituted by ice-nails or calks, or a horseshoe or plate having such formed thereon, whenever their use may be required.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. A heel for boots or shoes, formed in two parts,connected together by means of a hinge or flexible joint, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. A heel for boots and shoes, consisting of the parts A B, plates at b, shank E, and a suitable recess, in combination with the screw F, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the part A B, connected together by a flexible or hinge joint, and the shank E with the transverse pin I, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES SOHWERDTFEGER.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. LANE, ALEX. RHODES, 0. MITCHELL. 

